Trump's catchphrase takeover

At a time when the US jobless rate is running at 5.6 per cent, property tycoon Donald Trump is trying to copyright his You're Fired catchphrase from the hugely successful TV reality show, The Apprentice.

A Trump spokeswoman said today that the billionaire real estate mogul had filed a copyright request with the US Patent and Trademark Office.

A copy of the document posted on the Internet showed Trump seeking exclusive rights to use the phrase on items of clothing, as well as "games and playthings," and in connection with "casino services".

The fabled New York department store Bloomingdales is already selling a You're Fired tee-shirt line.

Trump has had a major hit with The Apprentice - a sort of Survivor in the corporate boardroom - in which participants vie with each other for a real job in the Trump Organisation.

Each episode ends with Trump telling one contestant, "You're fired".

The show's success has been a major boon for the NBC network which is bringing down the curtain this year on its two most popular prime-time sitcoms, Frasier and Friends.